Symmetry breaking and electrical frustration during tip-induced polarization switching in the nonpolar cut of lithium niobate single crystals.

Polarization switching in ferroelectric materials is governed by a delicate interplay between bulk polarization dynamics and screening processes at surfaces and domain walls. Here we explore the mechanism of tip-induced polarization switching at nonpolar cuts of uniaxial ferroelectrics. In this case, the in-plane component of the polarization vector switches, allowing for detailed observations of the resultant domain morphologies.